Bell: Wes Welker deal sends multiple messages

Mar. 14, 2013
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New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker (83) and quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrate after a touchdown pass and catch against the Baltimore Ravens in the second quarter of the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 20, 2013. / Stew Milne, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

Losing Wes Welker is one thing. But seeing the trusted slot receiver defect to the Denver Broncos, only to improve Peyton Manning's chances of winning another Super Bowl ring, might be enough to make Tom Brady wonder.

Brady restructured his contract recently, allowing the New England Patriots a few more millions in salary cap room. It seemed like a good deal for both sides. The Patriots got cap room, and the GQ quarterback netted extra cash and major guarantees.

All that, and Welker winds up with Manning?

Guess Welker - after the last of his six seasons with the Patriots seemed to include the undercurrent of a rift with coach Bill Belichick - really knows how to strike back.

The two-year deal Welker got from the Broncos, worth $12 million, didn't come until talks broke down with the Patriots. New England's offer of $5 million a season apparently was taken as an insult by a player who caught more passes than any other in the NFL (672) during his Patriots tenure.

New England's response? Sign younger Danny Amendola away from the St. Louis Rams and reunite him with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on a five-year, $31 million deal that guarantees $10 million, according to figures obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

It's worth noting Amendola's deal, which came down a couple hours after Welker's deal, averages $6.2 million a year - $200,000 more on average than Welker's contract and in total a whole lot more than New England offered Welker.

The Patriots can send messages of their own, too.

In this case, it's, "Good riddance, Wes. We'll be fine." History is on their side. Brady has seen a lot of targets come and go. He has won with Welker, and he has won with Troy Brown and David Givens.

And he still has Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Welker was the ultimate blitz-beater, typically the security blanket crossing over the middle when things got tight. His worst moment was dropping a pass in crunchtime during Super Bowl XLVI, but usually he was money in the bank.

For the here and now, Welker's departure appears to be a much bigger win for the Broncos and their solid, aggressive architect John Elway than it is a loss for the Patriots.

Manning and Brady are the best two quarterbacks of their generation, but Brady's got the upper hand with those three championship rings. That's fuel for Manning, who wants to win bad enough for himself but again is in the midst of an offseason that began with another inglorious playoff defeat.

With Welker's move, the power in the AFC might not have shifted - Denver, which had the AFC's best record last season, already looked to be the team to beat - but rather solidified. Especially when considering the hits the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens have taken.

Manning has to be ecstatic he has a proven commodity in Welker, adding to a mix that includes big-play wideouts Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. And his protection was boosted, too, with the signing of guard Louis Vasquez.

And just think: After the adjustment period of building a new offense around Manning, the Broncos system should be smoother during the coming season.

That Denver wanted to secure Welker for two years says something else. It's a win-now move.

No surprise about that mind-set. In fact, that's how Elway and his soon-to-be 37-year-old quarterback described their mission last March when they joined forces. Adding Welker to the mix thickens the plot.

With the less-filling offer the Patriots made to Welker - which some would consider low-ball - Belichick had to know he'd move on to Amendola. Maybe the offer came as it did because, moving forward, Belichick preferred Amendola.

He might have suspected, but couldn't know for sure, the Broncos would snap up Welker in a heartbeat. Regardless, that was a risk he was willing to take.